I relocated to Cheshire in 1980 and played both Hillside and Royal Birkdale annually, rating the latter as my favourite course maginally ahead of Carnoustie.
Strangely I never played S& A till this autumn and feel I feel like I have wasted 30 years.
This is up there, or ahead of its better known neighbours which to me says it all.
In fact the first 12 holes are better than Hillside which gets highly rated, I think, because of the back nine.
Some players are negative towards blind holes such as the 16th at S&A but I like the variation and challenge presented by this type of hole- Out of bounds down the right, heather to the left, a blind second or third shot and a tricky green.
The catering on my visit top class as was the welcome.
A great course

I could not agree with the above review more, what a fantastic golf course. Every hole presents a different challenge, none more so than the first, a 185-yard par-3 to start with! I have also played Hillside , and on reflection, although their back nine may be very good indeed, I believe S and A is the better all round course, not a single weak hole throughout the 18.
The whole course has wonderful definition - dunes, gulleys, great bunkering and fantastic greens.
A real gem.

A truly fantastic test of golf. Probably one of, if not the, toughest first hole in golf begins the challenge that is truly worthy of comparison to any of Britains finest Links. Although it is said to have more than its fair share of blind holes I believe this only adds to the intrigue of such a fantastic layout. The reward for well executed golf shots is axminister fairways and velvet like greens but leak a few astray and the Links will bear its fangs. All in all I would describe S&A as a fair test, and if you manage to play to your handicap you will have had a very good day indeed.